If you've spent any real time driving in the Historic Triangle during the summer months, you already know the intersection locals simply call "the Bow Tie." You don't need a traffic engineering degree to feel it — that tightening in your chest as you approach Route 199 and Jamestown Road, unsure whether the car beside you is going to cut across your lane or whether the left-turn arrow is about to strand you in the middle of oncoming traffic.
At Kalfus & Nachman, we've represented too many families whose summer vacation — or ordinary commute — ended with a call to a tow truck instead of a trip to Busch Gardens. We know this intersection, and we know why it keeps hurting people.
Williamsburg’s Notorious Hotspots For Traffic Collisions
Williamsburg’s intersections consistently challenge even experienced drivers. Summer makes these hotspots even more dangerous.
- Route 199 & Jamestown Road — The "Bow Tie" Intersection
The Route 199 and Jamestown Road interchange earned its nickname from the looping, crossing lane geometry that resembles a bow tie when viewed from above. It's not just a cute name - it's a warning. Virginia Department of Transportation studies have flagged this corridor for a high number of rear-end crashes tied to PM congestion, and Jamestown Road's intersection with Humelsine Parkway ranks among the district's higher-priority locations for safety improvement.
Driving in the Historic Triangle can be tricky, especially for those who aren't familiar with the area. The left-turn signals don't stay green for very long, which can make it hard to tell when you should go. Additionally, the lanes can change unexpectedly, and summer traffic volume swells dramatically as visitors funnel toward Jamestown Settlement, Colonial Williamsburg, and Busch Gardens. Add a driver checking GPS directions or trying to spot a hotel entrance, and you have the exact recipe for a failure-to-yield or rear-end collision.
- Airport Road and Richmond Road: Another Bottleneck
Another trouble spot is the intersection of Airport Road and Richmond Road. Sitting right near I-64 and the railroad tracks, this intersection gets slammed with traffic as visitors pour in and out of Williamsburg. The light cycle here is short — short enough that drivers often gun it or force a turn just to avoid sitting through another red. And when a train comes through, forget it: the backup can stretch for blocks. Once traffic finally starts moving again, frustrated drivers tend to misjudge their gaps, and that's when you see sideswipes and T-bone collisions happening right in the turn lanes.
Both intersections share a common thread: out-of-town drivers, distracted attention, and infrastructure that wasn't built for the volume Williamsburg's summer travel now brings.
Failure-to-Yield and Distracted Driving: The Leading Causes
Two things cause most of the crashes at these intersections: failure to yield and distracted driving. At the Bow Tie, drivers trying to work out those confusing left-turn cycles will often misjudge how much time they have before oncoming traffic arrives, or just miss the signal change altogether. And rear-end collisions happen all the time here — usually because someone's eyes are on their GPS or a passenger instead of the brake lights right in front of them.
At Airport Road, the short light cycle creates pressure to accelerate through yellow lights, leading to red-light running and T-bone collisions. Distracted drivers may not notice the railroad crossing signals, creating a risk of train-related incidents that are almost always catastrophic.
Kalfus & Nachman Know These Roads — Let Us Help You
The Bow Tie and the Airport Road bottleneck aren't going away, and neither is the flood of summer visitors that makes them so dangerous. If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash at one of Williamsburg's trickiest intersections, you don't have to navigate the aftermath alone. Kalfus & Nachmanoffers a free, no-obligation consultation to review your case, explain your options under Virginia law, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at 855-880-8163 to schedule your consultation and take the first step toward recovery.
